9th-Century Kashmirian Mahākāvyas and their Commentaries: Kapphiṇābhyudaya Cantos VII, IX–XII, and XX

• Applicant: Dr. Peter Pasedach
• Subject Area: Asian Studies
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 458314165

Within the overall scope of research on the two surviving mahākāvyas from 9th-century Kashmir, this project focuses on the critical edition and annotated translation of selected cantos from the Kapphiṇābhyudaya and its previously unedited, only known commentary. Specifically, the project will cover cantos VII, IX–XII, and XX. This work will complete two of the five planned volumes that encompass the entire poem, Volumes II and V, both of which have seen significant preparatory work in my previous project.The Kapphiṇābhyudaya is a rare surviving example of the mature phase of the mahākāvya genre—epic poetry composed in royal courts. It is a highly sophisticated work of art, and research on this text has made substantial progress in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, particularly following the discovery of an excellent ancient manuscript. This manuscript, unavailable to Gauri Shankar, the poem’s first editor, was found in two parts: one in Nepal and the other in Japan. In 2007, Michael Hahn critically re-edited the poem using this newfound evidence. However, the absence of any commentary has made the study of its most challenging cantos nearly impossible, as the use of advanced poetic devices renders the language highly artificial. For instance, the 19th canto is entirely composed using the technique of Bhāṣāśleṣa, allowing it to be read in both Sanskrit and Śaurasenī Prakrit with different meanings. Similarly, the 6th and 18th cantos are also extremely complex.The recent availability of copies of a manuscript containing the only known commentary on the Kapphiṇābhyudaya has now provided us with the crucial key to understanding this poem. As demonstrated in the preceding project, this commentary illuminates many of the subtleties also in those parts of the poem where the language is more natural. Moreover, this commentary not only aids in comprehending a remarkable piece of literary art but also offers a unique window into one of the golden ages of Indic civilization—pre-Islamic Kashmir.The manuscript of the commentary is part of the collection at the Summer Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. Thus, this project also contributes to the broader goal of making the invaluable Tibetan manuscript collections more accessible to the world.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Japan
• Cooperation Partner: Professorin Dr. Yuko Yokochi